INFORMATION

Table of Contents
  1. Section Maps
  2. Cemetery Photos
  3. History
  4. Rules and Regulations
  5. What is a Columbarium?
  6. Use of The Chapel for Memorial Services
  7. Links to Other Sites


















































Section Maps
Picture
Main Map
Links to more detailed maps of each section: 
A
B
C1
C2
​D
E
M1
OS5
OS6
​PF
P4
P6
R1
R2
R3
R4
Cemetery Photos
In the late 19th century fraternal organizations became very popular. A number of them including Woodsmen of the World, The International Order of Odd Fellows, Masons and others offered insurance burial policies to their members. These policies not only paid for their funerals, but also provided for a headstone. Several of these distinctive headstones can be found in Tishomingo's cemetery.
Four Governors are buried in Tishomingo's cemetery.
History
 The Tishomingo Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Oklahoma. It was originally a Native American burial ground established while the Chickasaw were encamped along Pennington Creek, it has been more or less in continuous use since c. 1832. 

 It is the burial place of two Chickasaw Governors, R.M. Harris and Douglas Johnson, as well as the parents of the current Chickasaw governor, Bill Anoatubby. In addition, two Oklahoma governors, William H, "Alfalfa Bill" Murray and his son, Johnston Murray, are buried in the Tishomingo Cemetery.  Johnston Murray's mother was Chickasaw, making Johnston Murray Oklahoma's first Native American governor.

Cemetery Improvement Project History:

​The Tishomingo Cemetery Project began January 2012 with a family's bequest and commitment to assist in making significant improvements to the Tishomingo Cemetery. A committee was formed and was approved by the City of Tishomingo and has, under the umbrella of the Tishomingo Development Team, been working toward making these improvements a reality. Funds already donated  have resulted in a survey of the property, and an architectural firm has provided the Cemetery Committee with a master plan for improvements. The plan includes enlarging the cemetery to the east, providing room for a columbarium for cremation remains, a new side walk, an open air chapel for cemetery services, a grave locating kiosk for visitors, landscaping, perimeter fencing along the backside of the cemetery, more available parking, and more durable roads.  

Rules and Regulations
“A cemetery should be a place of beauty and tranquility where meditation, quiet contemplation, and the remembrance of loved ones is enhanced by the beauty and tranquility of your surroundings.” 

Below is an overview of Tishomingo City Cemetery’s rules and regulations.  These rules and regulations were created to ensure that visiting Tishomingo’s Cemetery will be a meaningful experience for all of our visitors.

To view the complete cemetery ordinance visit the city’s website at:
www.Tishomingo.com.          Chapter 1: Article 1.09 Cemetery

Visiting Hours: Posted hours are sunrise to sunset.  Any person found on the Cemetery grounds after closing will be  prosecuted as a trespasser.

Contact the business office at City Hall, 1130 East Main for any cemetery-related business needs .  The office is open from 8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M., M-F.  580-371-2369


  1. All payments for cemetery services and goods and purchase of lots and plots must be made to the business office at City Hall or by arrangements with the funeral home.
  2. Motor vehicles shall not be driven in excess of five (5) miles per hour on any property in the cemetery.  Parking of vehicles shall be restricted to roadways only and shall be parked in such a manner that other vehicles can pass them. Parking of motor vehicles is not permitted on the grass.
  3.  It is unlawful for any person to operate a moped, motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle in the cemetery. 
  4. Skateboards and similar devices, bicycles, and remote-controlled aircraft are prohibited. Pets are not permitted in the cemetery.
 
  1. No person shall disturb the quiet and good order of the cemetery grounds by noise or improper conduct.
  2. Picnicking is prohibited.
  3. No person shall deposit or abandon litter, debris, paper, trash, garbage or other discarded matter on the grounds of the cemetery. Waste containers are conveniently located throughout the cemetery.
  4. No person shall deface, damage or write on any monument, structure or equipment in the cemetery.
  5. The following is strictly prohibited:
    1. Bringing firearms into the cemetery except by a military escort accompanying a veteran's funeral or any police agency.
    2. Fireworks of any kind.
    3. The drinking or carrying of alcoholic beverages.
    4. The possession or use of any prohibited drugs. 
    5. Glass containers of any sort.  At no time will loose stone or gravel be permitted on grave sites. This relates to a safety issue. Mulch is permitted within the twelve (12) inch border.
    6. Tobacco products are prohibited on all city properties.
  6. As of 2018, the addition of fencing of any type will no longer be permitted in or around a gravesite. Material will be removed by cemetery personnel and discarded.
  7. No lot or plot shall be used for any purpose other than for human burial. Burials are limited to two persons [one adult/one infant] per grave. (contact City Business Office for details). 
  8. Scattering of any cremated remains on cemetery property is prohibited.
  9. All work within the cemetery, including lot and plot work, shall be performed by city personnel or contracted workers pre-approved by the city. The employees of the city will do the general care of the cemetery. 
  10. After the initial erection of a monument, no person other than employees of the cemetery shall be permitted to perform any construction or building on lots and plots. (This does not apply to the decoration of graves and cutting and trimming of grass on your lots and plots.)
  11. Only one above ground monument is allowed per grave. All others must be ground level. 
  12. The cemetery sexton sets monument location. Foot stones (or in ground markers) will be permitted only if they are installed flush with the ground.  If a family lot is purchased, foot stones may be installed above ground at the discretion of the cemetery sexton. 
  13. Monuments, memorial stones, grave markers and saddles are not the property of the cemetery; their maintenance and repair are the responsibility of the lot and plot owner and heirs. Monuments can be insured against damages by insurance policies taken out with the owner’s insurance company.
  14. The cemetery will be responsible for seeding a plot with seed after a burial.  Subsequent seeding is the responsibility of the plot owner. 
  15. No trees or benches shall be permitted on lots and plots that contain a burial (No exceptions).  The sexton has the authority to remove any and all plantings, including shrubs and trees, which are dead, have outgrown their usefulness, or have spread beyond control.  Regardless of the decoration, the cemetery sexton has final say so as to all plantings or placing of markers.
  16. Decorations on graves shall not exceed one saddle and three ground decorations.  Artificial flowers must be in a container and not placed directly in the ground, no ground level wire, Styrofoam, or small wire ground decorations shall be permitted, Styrofoam saddles will be permitted.  No decorations or plantings shall extend beyond one foot from the gravestone on the front and sides only. This restriction shall not apply during the three weeks before or after Memorial Day. Decorative concrete edging shall be permitted (within the twelve (12) inch area, front and sides only) with the approval of the cemetery sexton [No exceptions.]  All other types of edging in place prior 2018 shall be permitted to remain.
  17. The cemetery shall not be responsible for lost or stolen decorations. 
  18. Items that interfere with maintenance such as mowing, weeding and the general maintaining of the cemetery grounds will be removed and discarded.
  19. Deteriorated, unsightly and inappropriate grave decorations, as determined by the cemetery sexton, shall be removed.  At no time will the cemetery retain or store items removed from the grave.
  20. Cemetery personnel do not weed and clean within the twelve (12) inch area located in front of a memorial stone unless the site has become unsightly.  At that time cemetery personnel will remove all planting or items to ensure a clean uncluttered cemetery.
  21. Semi-annual clean-ups of the cemetery will be announced.  The lot owner prior to clean-up periods must remove all ground decorations not within a container on graves or they will be removed by cemetery personnel and discarded.
  22. All pricing will be set by the Tishomingo City Council and is subject to change without notice except as required by law. These rules and regulations are made to establish a policy of fairness, of uniformity and to make it cost effective to maintain the cemetery. Tishomingo Cemetery reserves the right to suspend, waive or modify these rules and regulations. The cemetery may accept donations, legacies, or trust funds. Tishomingo Cemetery is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the sacred nature of its grounds.

Sale of Cemetery Lots and Plots
  1. Persons desiring to purchase graves will make application to the City of Tishomingo office business manager, or by appointment via phone.
  2. Grave spaces may be held for 30 days without deposit or obligation. Grave spaces not paid for within this time will be returned to inventory and sold.
  3. A certificate of ownership will be rendered for all grave purchases to the owner/purchaser and their heirs. The certificate of ownership will be issued to the owner/purchaser and a duplicate permanently filed with the city clerk/treasurer’s office.
  4. The owner of cemetery lots and plots is purchasing the right of interment only. The lot or plot owner does not have ownership of the real property itself.
  5. No interment of any other person than the grave space owner or their heirs may be made without a signed permission form. Grave space owners or their heirs may grant burial to any person. This permission must be in writing and signed by the owner or heirs and a notary public, with an original signed copy provided to the Tishomingo city clerk’s office. It is recommended this transaction be coordinated with the cemetery sexton, who may attest to the owners signing in lieu of notary public.

Interments
  1. Interment charges may be obtained from the cemetery sexton, city office business manager, local funeral directors or cemetery website.
  2. Cemetery personnel perform interments only.
  3. No interments will be allowed until the grave space has been paid for.
  4. Opening and closing grave charges are due by the interment date. If no payment or arrangements has been rendered, the interment will not be made.
  5. The use of an outside burial container (vault) is required for all full burials and must meet current industry standards. Qualified personnel must professionally install all vaults.
  6. Only one full burial is permitted on a standard size grave space. One infant burial over an adult grave is permitted, provided the adult burial is of sufficient depth. The cremated remains of one person is permitted over another burial. Two cremation burials will be permitted in a grave where there are no vault burials. There shall be no more than two (2) burials in any single grave. Should the urn burial precede the vault burial, the prevailing disinurnment fee shall apply at the time of the vault burial; see the city business manager for further details.
  7. Scattering of cremated remains is not permitted.
  8. Indigent burials are provided in accordance with city ordinance.
  9. Burial of pets is not permitted.


What is a Columbarium?
A Columbarium is a place to safely preserve a loved one's cremated remains.
The Columbarium has one hundred "niches" that can each store the remains of two people in a water, dust, and insect-proof 1' x 1' x 1' aluminum space. The remains can be stored there indefinitely without need for maintenance. The niche's solid granite cover can be engraved like a headstone. The use of columbarium niches is much cheaper than traditional burials, costing only $500 dollars to purchase a niche and around $500 dollars for an inscription.
Use of The Chapel for Memorial Services
The cemetery chapel is available for memorial services. Please contact the city hall office at 580-371-2369 to reserve use of the chapel.
​Links to Other Sites
The following links are for finding specific graves in Tishomingo's cemetery and other cemeteries. 
Find a Grave 
Ancestry 
BillionGraves
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